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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bass — low music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — a short time
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — in football
  14. spell — letters
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. spell — magic
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — a tool
  23. degree — temperature
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com